Sheriff's Office (SH)

Halloween may be a fun holiday
for kids, but for parents trick or treat time can be a
little tricky. Concerns about children’s safety – whether
they are out in the neighborhood or back home with bags of
booty – can darken the day more quickly than a black cat.
But not to worry! To make Halloween a treat for all, please
follow these safety tips:

Make sure
your children dress up safely!

Check
that costumes are flame retardant so the little ones are
not in danger near burning jack-o-lanterns and other
fire hazards.

Keep
costumes short to prevent trips, falls, and other bumps
in the night.

Try
make-up instead of masks. Masks can be hot and
uncomfortable and more importantly, they can obstruct a
child's vision - a dangerous thing when kids are
crossing streets and going up and down steps.

Make
sure kids wear light colors or put reflective tape on
their costumes.

Avoid
hard plastic or wood props such as daggers and swords.
Substitute with foam rubber that is soft and flexible.

Dressed
Up and Dangerous

Halloween and blood and gore
are harmless stuff for the most part. But sometimes dressing
up as a super hero, a swashbuckling pirate, or an alien from
outer space -- coupled with the excitement of Halloween --
brings out aggressive behavior. Even fake knives, swords,
guns, and other costume accessories can hurt people. If
these objects are part of a child's costume, make sure
they're made out of cardboard or other soft flexible
materials. Better yet, challenge kids to create a costume
that doesn't need "weapons" to be scary and fun.

Make
Trick or Treat Trouble Free

Adults
should accompany young children.

Make
sure older kids trick or treat with friends. Together,
map out a route so parents know where they will be. Tell
them to stop only at familiar homes where outside lights
are on.

Try to
get your kids to trick or treat while it's light out. If
it's dark, make sure someone has a flashlight and pick
well lit streets.

Make
sure kids know not to enter strange houses or cars.

Watch
for traffic.

Carry a
cell phone if possible for any emergency that may occur.

Consider This

Parents and kids can avoid
trick or treating troubles entirely by organizing a
Halloween costume party with treats, games, contests, music,
scary stories, and much more. MAKE YOUR HALLOWEEN PARTY A
PLACE TO BE. Schools, fire departments, libraries, or
civic groups in many communities organize "haunted houses"
and other Halloween festivities for families.

Treats

Kids
need to know not to eat their treats until they get
home. One way to keep trick-or-treaters from digging in
while they are still out is to feed them a meal or snack
beforehand.

Examine
all candy at home in a well-lighted area before allowing
the kids to eat it.

What to
eat? Only unopened candies and other treats that are in
original wrappers. Don't forget to inspect fruit and
homemade goodies or anything suspicious. By all means,
remind kids not to eat everything at once or they will
be feeling pretty ghoulish for a while!

Halloween can be a
lot of fun for parents and kids alike -- if everyone
remembers the tricks and treats of playing it safe.